The objective of the project is to correlate structural features of viral RNA to viral oncogenesis by analyzing specific nucleotide sequences (see below) of RNA's of Rauscher mouse leukemia virus, Murine Sarcoma Virus (Moloney), and Rous sarcoma virus. The structural properties of oncornavirus RNA will be compared with nucleotide sequences in heterogeneous nuclear RNA (HnRNA) of normal and of transformed cells, and with nucleotide sequences in the RNA of nononcogenic viruses, such as the picornaviruses. The structural features of the RNA's which we shall analyze, firstly, will be the polyadenylic acid sequences recently identified in tumor virus RNA and HnRNA as well as in poliovirus RNA. Secondly, we will analyze nucleotide sequences preceding or following the homopolyribonucleotides. We shall utilize specific enzymes to degrade P32 labeled RNA, use millipore and poly U-filters to separate the homopolynucleotides, and apply chromatographic and electrophoretic methods to analyze the nucleotides. Using the results of sequence studies on poliovirus RNA, we shall analyze the RNA dependent DNA synthesis using oncornavirion associated reverse transcriptase and poliovirus RNA as template. Finally, we shall study the in vitro synthesis of poliovirus RNA in an attempt to elucidate the biosynthesis of the 3'-terminal poly A and the 5'-terminus. These studies should yield information as to whether poly A in viral RNA, and in RNA from transformed cells, can be related to viral oncogenesis, and information as to the mechanism of replication of the oncornavirus and picornavirus genome. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Lee, Y.F., Nomoto, A. and Wimmer, E. Characterization and Determination of Molecular Weights of the Genomes of Poliovirus Type 1, 2 and Poliovirus DI Particles by 2D-Gel Electrophoresis of Enzymic Digests, Fed. Proc. 35, 1614 (1976). Lee, Y.F., Nomoto, A., Detjen, B.M., and Wimmer, E. Protein Covalently Linked to Poliovirus Genome RNA. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 74, No.1 (1977).